


When My House Becomes A Cage

by DoctorSnow



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Sibling Bonding, Stark Siblings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 23:16:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4368092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorSnow/pseuds/DoctorSnow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In many ways, Jon and Arya are cut from the same cloth. Both of them feel restricted by the constraints society imposes upon them. They find solace in knowing they're not alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When My House Becomes A Cage

**Author's Note:**

> All characters owned by GRRM and HBO (in the case of Ros!)
> 
> And as for the title - I'm a big Baroness fan!

“Hurry up, Snow!” Theon Greyjoy shouted from the main gate.

“I’ll follow you. I need to do something first.” Jon shouted back from the stables.

“Oh, no. You’re not backing out this time.” Robb said, carrying his saddlebag towards his horse.

He had been trying to avoid this day for the last three years. Every year since Jon's fourteenth nameday, Robb would propose a visit to the brothel in Winter Town. But now that he was a man grown, he was more persistent than ever. After a lot of persuasion, he had finally given in.

“Just this once.” He said, grudgingly.

The sun was just setting as the three made to ride out of the gates of Winterfell. He saw Arya exit the Great Hall as they left. As soon as she caught sight of him, she came running as fast as her little legs could carry her.

“Where are you going?” she asked, out of breath.

“To Winter Town.” Jon said, leaning down to muss her hair.

“Can I come too?” She asked excitedly.

Theon laughed. “We’ll leave you to it then, Snow. Come, Robb.” They rode out through the gates.

 _Arseholes_. He was left alone to explain to Arya why she couldn’t come. She would see through his lie immediately.

“Robb wants to take me to celebrate my nameday.”

“Why is Theon coming? You don’t even like each other.”

“Well, Theon goes wherever Robb goes.” _He’s coming_ _because he can never get enough of Hazel_.

“I want to come too. I want to spend time with all of you. Sansa never has time for me anyways.”

Jon let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Arya. You can’t come. Father wouldn’t allow it.”

“You’re going to the brothel, aren’t you?” She screwed up her nose in disgust. “You don’t even like brothels.”

“Well, it’s only because Robb persuaded – “

“It’s naught to me. Enjoy the whores.” She said, turning on her heel and running off to the godswood.

Jon tried to call after her, but to no avail. The poor girl often got left all to herself. Sansa and the other girls never let her join them on anything they did. Rickon was still too young for her to play with. She had Bran for company sometimes, but he had lately begun to spend more time with him and Robb, training in sword and bow in the courtyard. He wished he could spend more time with her than he did. It’s _the least I can do to make her smile._

Kicking the spurs into his horse, he rode swiftly, trying to catch up with Robb and Theon.

* * *

 

 

He groaned as Robb pulled him through the doors into the brothel. Despite being the only brothel in the small town, Jon was surprised by how empty it was today. A few girls sat by the hearth, chattering. They stood up to greet them when they saw them enter.

“Lord Greyjoy.” said the golden-haired girl with a mock bow, who could only be Hazel.

Theon went forward to kiss her, but she stopped him.

“By the hour, my lord.” She said, tittering.

Grabbing her waist, he took her in through the drapes.

“Is this your brother, Lord Robb?” said a red-haired girl, playing with her hair. “The one who’s never been with a woman before?”

“He’s the one, Ros.” Robb clasped his shoulder, pushing him towards her.

He bristled as she ran a finger across his cheek. “My, he’s prettier than I am.” She grabbed his hand, pulling him inside.

The room she led him into was dimly lit. She pushed him down on the bed, undressing slowly. Soon enough, she was dressed in nothing but her smallclothes. She walked towards him, gingerly taking his hand and placing it on her breast. It felt soft and warm to his touch. He wondered if this was how Lord Eddard lost his honor the night he squirted him into his mother’s belly. _The mother that he never spoke of_. He started getting nervous.

“Are you all right?” She looked concerned.

He gently withdrew his hand from her breast. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” He got up from the bed. “You’re beautiful. You really are. But I-I – “

She smiled. “It’s all right.” She reached for her robe, covering herself. “What do you want me to tell your brother?”

“Don’t tell him anything.” Robb would be annoyed to know that he did nothing. He wouldn’t be able to explain to him what went through his mind. _He won’t understand. He’s not a Snow_. At the very least, they didn’t share the kind of relationship he had with Arya.

“You still have to pay me.”

* * *

 

 

He rode back to Winterfell alone.

As he hobbled his horse, he heard a sniffling sound from the back of the stable. He walked softly towards the sound to see what it was.

Arya was sitting all alone in a corner, her head in her hands. It looked like she was crying.

“Arya?”

She looked up.

“Enjoyed the brothel?” she asked him indignantly, her face tear-streaked.

“No. I came back.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Why? Didn’t know where to put it?”

That surprised him. “I know where to put it.”

She scoffed at that. He moved to sit next to her, putting an arm around her scrawny shoulders.

“Why does Sansa get everything? She can sew, she can sing, she can dance, she has her friends. She’s better than me at everything.”

“Not riding. She’s a hopeless rider.” He said, trying to cheer her up. “Or sums.”

Clearly that didn’t work, because she grew angry. “Why does she have to be so mean to me all the time? Sometimes she acts like we’re not even sisters. All I wanted to do was play with her. I never have anyone to play with.”

“Well, you have me.”

She turned to look at him. “You’re with Robb and Theon more often than not, with your swords and bows. Even Bran gets to play at swords. I can’t play with the girls. I can’t practise with the boys. What am I supposed to do?”

He felt truly bad for her. “Life isn’t fair, little sister. It rarely is.” In a way, he and Arya were on the same boat. The whole world frowned upon bastards. They also rarely took kindly to girls who couldn’t fit in with their standards and ideals.

He kissed her on the brow. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the castle. Your mother will be pulling her hair out by now.”

She giggled at that, wrapping her arms around his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. He mussed her hair, deep in thought. He could have a sword made for her. She could use something suited to her body size, not too heavy or broad. He would talk to Mikken about it first thing in the morning. _At least she can protect herself_. It was the least he could do for her before he left for the Wall.

Hand in hand, they walked back towards the castle.


End file.
